Sit-ins draw support, anger from 'U' students

By Karolyn Kokko

Daily Staff Reporter

The Students of Color Coalition and Michigamua have spent nearly two weeks in meetings with University administrators, regents and the Michigan Student Assembly discussing the secret society's use of the Union tower and Native American culture, but other members of the campus community have only been able to look into the tower takeover from the outside.

LSA junior Michael Gates said he has been following the developments in the Union takeover and thinks SCC's actions have made a powerful statement.

"I think they are going overboard, but they have legitimate reasons, and I can understand their concern," he said.

Gates added that both sides seem to have compelling arguments. "After hearing a little bit from the advocates of Michigamua, it seems less racist."

Many students said they are well aware of the SCC's concerns but are not as familiar with the arguments put forth by the Michigamua society.

LSA freshman Chip Englander, an LSA Student Government representative, said, "Michigamua hasn't had ample opportunity to present their views."

Englander said he has been so interested with the protest that he took the tour of the Michigamua meeting space led by the SCC to get a better idea of what objects were found in the Michigamua meeting space.

Peaceful protests are a "fantastic idea," Englander said, as long as people maintain respect for each other and their ideas.

But some students expressed concern about the extent of the protest.

"I think it's gone pretty far overboard ... and they've taken a little thing and blown it way out of proportion," Engineering sophomore Andy Roberts said.

Students aren't the only members of the University community interested in the recent actions by the SCC.

In addition to professors taking their classes on the Michigamua meeting space tour, other faculty members said the event has sparked their interest.

English Prof. Marlon Ross said the protest indicates "interest and involvement beyond the classroom." Marlon said he has been a professor at the University for the past decade, and until recently the atmosphere around campus has seemed fairly calm.

But, he said, the Union takeover has not been as intense as past University activism. "They look pale compared to what happened in the 60s," Ross said.

While many students said they feel that issue has been carried out too far, other students feel that the protests are necessary and beneficial.

"I think it's definitely a big issue and the protests are needed so everyone can be made aware of what is going on in order to change it," LSA junior Sean Herring said.

The protests need to be conducted so discrimination targeted at other minority groups can be prevented in the future, he added.